Certain proteins within our immune system hold the precise instructions needed to destroy cancerous tumours. In a healthy body, this inherent ability is always present and always effective without the use of drugs. However, these proteins can be rendered ineffective if cells experience uncontrolled growth though damage or mutations to DNA or if toxins through food and chemical pollution override the immune system’s natural function. Researchers from Pennsylvania State University have finally helped identify and support previous evidence which demonstrated how foods suppresses tumour development during immune surveillance, the immune system‘s process of patrolling the body for cancer cells.

Those who subscribe to conventional cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation have little understanding of how powerful the body is at healing itself if left to its own devices with the right nutrition.

Scientists have recently found that healthy cells damaged by chemotherapy secreted more of a protein which boosts cancer cell survival. Chemotherapy has been proven to cause cancer cells to interact with nearby tumour cells and cause them to grow, invade, and importantly, resist subsequent therapy.

In a study published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, scientists identified a molecule, known as TIC10, which activates a protein that helps fight the disease. The protein, called TRAIL (tumour-necrosis-factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand) suppresses tumour development it can actually cross the blood-brain barrier, which separates the main circulatory system from the brain.

Through the body’s infinite wisdom, its systems recognize foreign invaders and poisons such as chemotherapy which are not beneficial for the brain. Many cancer drugs are consequently blocked from passing the blood-brain barrier. However, TRAIL is permitted passage due to its beneficial effects on the immune system.

Another positive is that TIC10 does not just activate the TRAIL gene in cancerous cells, but also in healthy ones. This is known as the ‘bystander effect’ – i.e. where cells near cancerous cells are also killed.

Nearby healthy cells are also given a boost to increase the number of cancer-killing TRAIL receptors on their cell surface.

FOODS THAT INHIBIT TUMORS

The key is to not succumb to selective cancer therapy or drug treatments based on clinical trials with artificially created versions of the protein.

, not drugs. All you need to do is seek those powerful foods which naturally inhibit tumor necrosis factor (TNF) of which there are several.

Curcumin exerts anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects by inhibiting tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), suggesting that its effect on endothelial function may be mediated by the suppression of inflammation and/or oxidative stress via down-regulation of TNF-alpha.

Resveratrol is a phenolic compound that contributes to the antioxidant potential of red grapes.

Resveratrol is not only an antioxidant and antimutagen, but also reduces oxidant-caused cell death. Resveratrol has been shown to inhibit production of nitric oxide and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-A) by lipopolysaccharide-stimulated Kuppfer cells. Kuppfer cells are macrophages fixed in place in the liver. Their chronic overproduction of nitric oxide and TNF-A due to chronic infection can cause severe liver damage.

Perhaps Resveratrol’s most important property is its ability to inhibit cyclooxygenase-2 (CoX-2). CoX-2 is related to cancers and abnormal growths in the intestinal tract. Natural CoX-2 inhibitors such as resveratrol have been shown to reduce the occurrence of cancers and pre-cancerous growths. So while pharmaceutical companies race to find complex agents that inhibit CoX-2, the ingredient is already present in red grapes which if consumed daily (or via organic grape juice) will protect against tumors naturally.

3. Green Tea

The health benefits of green tea are due to the presence of a group of plant flavonoids called catechins. Of particular interest to researchers is epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate (EGCG), the primary catechin in green tea. For example, South Korean researchers have found that EGCG blocks TNF naturally by interfering with the ability of certain pro-inflammatory chemicals to bind to cells of smooth muscle tissue of the vascular system. In a 2009 study conducted by the Chonbuk National University Medical School, it was noted that the specific mechanism of action of EGCG in terms of blocking TNF is the suppression of fractalkine, an inflammatory agent specifically involved in the development of arteriosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries.

4. Tomatoes

Regular consumption of tomato and its products is being consistently associated with lower risk of several types of cancer and, to a lesser extent, coronary heart disease. Among the many tomato components credited with healthful properties, carotenoids and particularly lycopene are being actively investigated.

Modest effects of the regular intake of a tomato juice provides small amounts of carotenoids which were found on the production of inflammatory mediators, such as TNF-alpha. TNF-alpha production by whole blood was found to be more than 30% lower after almost a month of consuming raw tomato juice.

5. Raw Fruits and Veggies

There is sufficient evidence to indicate that a diet consisting of foods high in natural antioxidants such as raw fruits and vegetables provide anti-inflammatory benefits. The higher the intake the more they are associated with significant reductions in levels of markers of inflammation, including C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha).

Any fruits or vegetables (preferably dark colored) which are a good source of indole-3-carbinol, a chemical that boosts DNA repair in cells, blocks the growth of cancer cells. A team of researchers at Ohio State University announced that anthocyanins, the compounds that give cabbage its purple color are capable of cutting the growth of colon cancer cells both in vitro and in rats by 50%-100%, with certain extracts even destroying up to 20% of the cancer cells while leaving healthy surrounding cells intact.